Articulated car underframe



Apr. 24, 1923.

H. M. PFLAGER AHTICULATED CAR UNDERFRAME Filed Dec. 28, 1922 Lima/9 5 Patented Apr. 24, 1923.

HARRY M. PFLAGER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI,

CAB COMPANY OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A

ASSIGNOB. TO COMMONWEALTH STEEL CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

ABTICULATED CAB. UNDERFBAME.

Application filed December 28, 1922. Serial No. 609,522.

T all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY M. PFLAGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Articulated Car Underframes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application.

My invention relates to railway rolling stock and consists in an improved platform or underframe construction for use in articulated cars where two adjacent cars have their ends mounted upon a common truck. The object of my invention is to form truck engaging elements integral with the car end sill or buffer member thereby eliminating a large amount of machine work necessary to fit separate units together and also containing a rigidity which 15 (greater than can be provided in assemble parts and which is permanent.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a selected embodiment of my invention 1 is atop view of the platform castin having center and side bearings forme integral thereon.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through two such castings on adjacent cars mounte upon a common truck.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of one of the platform castings.

The platform casting is preferably of the cast steel type now in general use and comprises center sill portions 1, side Slll portions 2, cross beam portions 3, and an en Slll or buffer portion 4. Cast integral with the latter portion is a centrally located center bearing member 5 and spaced therefrom along the end sill 4 are integral side bearing elements 6. The projection which forms the center bearing element 5 extends downwardly and forwardly from the end sill 4 and its lower surface 7 is convex and adapted to be seated on concave upper surface 8 of a truck bolster center plate 9'. The upper surface of the projecting ortion of element 5 is concave to corres on to the surface 8 of the truck center p ate 9 and is adapted to receive the lower face of another body center bearing element 10 extending from v,car, integral spaced projections on the the end sill 11 on an adjacent car and to support the body of the latter.

The side bearing members 6 extend downwardly from the end sill and have lower surfaces adapted to engage the upwardly facing surfaces of truck side bearings (not shown) which may be of any type now in use.

Both the center bearing and side bearing elements are reinforced by suitable webs, as shown, and the particular location and contour of the projecting bearing elements upon the end sill and the stiffening webs referred to may be varied according to conditions and different types of trucks with which the cars are to be used.

lVhen these center plates and side bearings are made integral with the platform or underframe structure, the drilling of bolt or rivet holes through the underframe member and the machining of the underframe and bearing members to secure proper fitting thereof is all eliminated and the resulting structure is more rigid and durable than the best of assembled constructions.

Various modifications in the details of the structure illustrated may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim: a 85 1. In a railway car underframe a downwardly facing element formed integrally upon the end of the underframe projectin beyond the end of the underframe and adapted to be supported upon a car truck.

2. A railway car underframe including an end sill or buffer provided with integral center plate and side bearing elements extending downwardly and projecting outwardly therefrom and adapted to fit complementary truck elements.

3. In a one-piece platform casting for a railway car, an integral central projection on the forward end of said casting havin a lower surface adapted to be seated on are 100 center plate of a truck extending beyond the end of the car.

4. In an underframe casting for a railvyay orward end of said casting on opposite sides 105 of the center thereof and having lower surfaces adapted to cooperate with the side bearings of a truck, the longitudinal center of which is beyond the front of the platform casting.

5. In a, railway ear underframe casting, a form, a member formed integrally thereon forwardly and downwardly extendin inprojecting beyond the end thereof and tegral projection on the front wall 0 the adapted to form a body center bearing. casting havingabottom eontoureomplemen- 7. In an articulated ear nnderframe, a 15 5 tary to the contour of a truck center plate one-piece casting constituting a car plat and having a top contour whereby said proform, a member formed integrally thereon jeotion may receive a lower surface of a projecting beyond the end thereof and similar projection upon an adjacent undcradapted to form a body side bearing. frame and may support the latter. In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my 10 I0 6. In an articulated ear underframe, a signature this 5th day of Dec., 1922.

one-piece casting constituting a car plat- H. M. PFLAGER.

Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that the assignment in Letters Patent N 0. 1,452,525, granted April 24, 1923, upon the application of Harry M. Pfiager, of St. Louis, Missouri, for an improvement in Articulated Car Underfrumes, was erroneously described and specified as Commonwealth Steel Car Company, whereas said assignment should have been described and specified as flammmnwealth Steel flompflmh as shown by the records of assignments in this office; and that the said Letters Patent. should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to therecord of the case in the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 6th day of May, A. D. 1924.

[SEAL] KARL FENNING,

Acting Comwu'ssioner of Patents. 

